Joao Cancelo could be set for yet another swap deal as Barcelona look to sign the Manchester City full-back. The Portuguese right-back arrived at the Etihad from Juventus last summer as part of a swap deal that saw Danilo go the other way. After less than a full season in the blue half of Manchester, Cancelo has already started being linked with yet another move. According to reports in Spain, Barcelona are prepared to offer Nelson Semedo as a bargaining chip for a straight swap.
Semedo and Cancelo are international team-mates for Portugal. It is the Barcelona man, who is enjoying a much better season this time out.
He has made 25 appearances for the Blaugrana so far and is the first-choice right-back for the Catalan giants. Cancelo, however, has struggled to settle with just eight Premier League starts due to Kyle Walker’s impressive performances.
What Pep Said About The Player?
Manchester City are willing to let Cancelo go but only if they are able to bring in other competition for the former Tottenham man. Asked about his man’s future before the season was suspended, City boss Pep Guardiola did not rule out letting Cancelo go.
The Spaniard said: “This player we bought him for many years, not for six months, but what happens happens.”
Cancelo still has five years left to run on his mammoth six-year deal at the Etihad while Semedo’s contract expires in 2022 after signing from Benfica in 2017. It is strongly claimed that there are likely to be far more swap deals done in the summer.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and football being placed on hold, the club’s finances are going to take a big hit. That, in turn, is likely to result in teams being less willing to splash the cash in the transfer market. Instead, finding swap deals suiting both clubs and freshen up squads could be the answer.
Manchester City And Their Champions League Ambitions
The main aim of Manchester City has been to win the Champions League for quite some time now. However, the problem in the upcoming season might be the fact that they may be banned from Europe. The Premier Leauge champs have been handed a ban of a couple of years.
Due to this, they may not be playing in Europe’s top competition for two seasons at least. With that being said, The Cityzens might be forced to focus on domestic titles. That would be a huge loss for a top manager like Pep Guardiola. It is also being suggested that the Spaniard might leave the Etihad.
It is still not certain whether the stories are completely true or not. However, for now, one thing will happen for sure. The clubs across the globe will be looking for free or cheap transfers. Keeping that in mind, a lot of players from China will be up for grabs.
Many players will want to return to Europe. There is a long list of stars who want to leave for new destinations. Only time will tell how things will develop now.
